What Is Nutrivore?
It's a positive, science-based nutrition philosophy that helps you get the nutrients you need to reach your health goals—without guilt and without giving up the foods you love.
Nutrivore is a nutrition philosophy, not a diet. It’s an approach rooted in the simple principle that health is best supported when we give our bodies the full range of nutrients they need to thrive—without eliminating foods, counting calories, or following rigid rules. It’s a positive, sustainable way of eating for our entire lives, not a diet you “go on.”
Instead of asking “What do I need to cut out?” Nutrivore asks: “How can I get more nutrients from the foods I eat?”
This shift in focus—from restriction to nourishment—creates a way of eating that is flexible, sustainable, and deeply supportive of both physical and emotional well‑being. Nutrivore embraces variety, emphasizes whole and minimally-processed foods, and removes the moral value from eating. No food is “good” or “bad.” No single choice makes or breaks your health. What matters is the pattern of nourishment over time.
Because it’s a dietary philosophy rather than a rigid diet, Nutrivore is incredibly flexible. The default is to implement it as an anti-diet, but it can also enhance any dietary framework, from Paleo to Mediterranean to plant-based diets. By utilizing Nutrivore as a “diet modifier”, you can learn how to incorporate more nutrient-dense foods into your chosen eating style, whatever that may be. This flexibility means you can tailor Nutrivore to your specific needs, preferences, and lifestyle while reaping its health benefits.
Why Nutrients Matter So Much
Every cell, tissue, and system in your body relies on nutrients—vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, amino acids, fiber, and thousands of phytonutrients—to function properly. These nutrients:
Support metabolic health and blood sugar regulation
Help maintain cognition and stable mood
Reduce chronic inflammation and support immune function
Protect against chronic disease
Chronic diseases most typically arise from a combination of factors, with nutrient insufficiencies interacting with lifestyle, genetics, social determinants of health, and environmental influences.
A lack of specific nutrients can stress and weaken biological systems, which then interact with lifestyle factors like sleep habits, stress levels, and physical activity, as well as health-related behaviors such as smoking or alcohol intake. In other words, nutrient insufficiencies rarely act alone—they are part of a complex web of inputs that influence disease risk.
For example, approximately two dozen nutrients play protective roles in cardiovascular health by supporting blood vessel integrity and heart muscle function. Yet these benefits are most effective when paired with other factors such as physical activity and healthy stress management. This interplay highlights an important point: food delivers nutrients in synergistic combinations that supplements simply cannot replicate.
All of this further emphasizes the value of a food-based approach to meeting nutrient needs—it’s the most efficient, effective, and affordable way to cover your nutritional bases.
Although the causes of chronic conditions are complex, nutrition offers a clear and accessible point of intervention. Studies consistently show that eating patterns rich in nutrient-dense foods lower the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, chronic kidney disease, thyroid disease, diverticular disease, autoimmune disease, asthma, allergies, chronic fatigue, headaches, and more.
Meeting nutrient needs doesn’t just lower long-term disease risk—it also supports day-to-day well-being. Optimal nutrient intake improves energy levels, mood, cognitive function, and sleep quality, providing the foundation for a vibrant, fulfilling life.
Yet research consistently shows that nearly everyone falls short on many essential nutrients. Nutrivore exists to close that gap by helping you eat in a way that naturally increases nutrient intake without dieting or perfectionism. The goal isn’t to micromanage nutrients. It’s to build a way of eating where nutrient sufficiency happens automatically because your overall diet is rich in whole, colorful, varied foods.
The Core Principles of Nutrivore
Nutrivore is built on four evidence‑based pillars that work together to create a nourishing eating pattern.
1. Nutrient Density Matters
Some foods contain significantly more nutrients per calorie than others. Nutrivore highlights the foods richest in essential and beneficial nutrients—without requiring you to restrict everything else.
2. Variety Is Essential
No food provides everything your body needs. Nutrivore encourages eating widely across food families—vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, seafood, eggs, dairy, and more—to naturally cover the full nutrient spectrum.
3. The Whole Diet Matters More Than Individual Foods
There are no “superfoods” that can make up for an otherwise low‑nutrient diet, and no single food that can ruin a healthy one. Nutrivore shifts attention from isolated choices to overall patterns.
4. No Foods Are Off-Limits
Restriction increases guilt, cravings, and rebound eating. Nutrivore avoids “good” and “bad” labels and instead encourages a mindset where nutrient-dense foods form the foundation—but treats and comfort foods fit without shame.
The Best Way to Become a Nutrivore
If you’re excited to bring Nutrivore into your life, there are three powerful ways to build knowledge, confidence, and lasting nutrient‑dense habits—no dieting, restriction, or perfectionism required.
1. Read the Nutrivore Book for the Deepest Understanding
My book, Nutrivore: Eat Any Food, Get Every Nutrient, and Transform Your Health, is the most comprehensive, reader‑friendly guide to the Nutrivore philosophy. It walks you through:
The science of nutrient density
How nutrients protect every system of the body
Food families and what they uniquely offer
How to build balanced, nutrient‑rich meals
How to shift your mindset away from diet culture and restriction
If you want the full “what” and “why” behind Nutrivore, this is the place to start.
2. Subscribe to the Nutrivore Newsletter to Build Your Knowledge Week by Week
Every Thursday, I send a science‑backed newsletter packed with nutrition fun facts designed to grow your Nutrivore skills and knowledge base over time. You’ll learn:
How specific nutrients impact a wide variety of health conditions
Which foods are richest in those nutrients
How to bring Nutrivore principles into your real, everyday meals
How to support a positive, anti‑diet mindset while improving diet quality
Think of it as continued education—in small, practical weekly lessons.
3. Join Nutrivore90 to Build Habits and Turn Knowledge Into Action
If you want support, structure, and accountability, Nutrivore90 is the most hands‑on way to practice Nutrivore.
Over 90 days, you’ll:
Build nutrient‑dense, balanced meals
Increase dietary variety
Eat more vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, and seafood
Practice a compassionate, anti‑diet mindset
Create sustainable habits through weekly guidance
Whether you’re just getting started or ready to go deeper, Nutrivore90 gives you a clear roadmap and community support to make Nutrivore part of your daily life.
Why Nutrivore Works
Nutrivore is not a diet, but rather a dietary philosophy grounded in one core principle: Meeting our nutritional needs through food. The goal is sustainable nutrition—embracing food for enjoyment, traditions, and convenience while adding essential nutrients so you can achieve lifelong healthy eating patterns without the on-again-off-again diet rollercoaster.
Nutrivore isn’t designed to optimize a single health metric. It’s designed to improve overall diet quality in a way that naturally supports:
More consistent energy
A healthier metabolism
Better digestion and gut health
Reduced inflammation
Improved mood and cognitive function
A healthier relationship with food
Lower long-term risk of chronic disease
Because Nutrivore avoids restriction and emphasizes addition, it is easier to sustain long-term—and far less likely to trigger rebound eating or cycles of guilt and “starting over.”
Want to Go Deeper?
You can explore the full science and philosophy behind Nutrivore at Nutrivore.com, and you’ll find my most comprehensive, reader-friendly guide in my book: Nutrivore: Eat Any Food, Get Every Nutrient, and Transform Your Health
If you’re new here, welcome—I’m so glad you’re beginning this journey toward a more nourishing, more joyful way of eating.